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It may sound odd, but at times in His ministry, Jesus wore his lawyer hat. When he defended the adulterous woman, when he argued from Scripture that the disciples were fine to pick grain on the Sabbath, and in other instances, Jesus insightfully applied to uphold justice and promote goodwill.

It may sound odd, but at times in His ministry, Jesus wore his lawyer hat. When he defended the adulterous woman, when he argued from Scripture that the disciples were fine to pick grain on the Sabbath, and in other instances, Jesus insightfully applied to uphold justice and promote goodwill.

The legal aspects of Jesus' ministry have long been obscured or misunderstood, particularly his interactions with and attitude toward the law and lawyers. Jesus' desire in his day and ours is to use the law to secure the rights of people to hear the gospel and to set humanity free. In other words, to be the best citizens we can be, we need to follow in the footsteps of the greatest citizen who ever lived.

We are citizens of two kingdoms, but many of us duck and run when it comes to civil life. For anyone who cares about their community--parents, teachers, pastors, you name it--engagement with our legal system can play a huge role in the health of our communities and in cultivating a context where the gospel can flourish.

Jesus in the Courtroom will help us understand not only why we have failed to appreciate the legal aspect of Jesus' life, but also to understand and cooperate with his legal ministry to us and through us. If we are going to be faithful "citizen disciples" in this challenging new world, we need to look anew at how Jesus taught, thought, and interacted with the legal establishment of his day.